Looking West, Looking East

I was invited to speak at this symposium, organised by Alison J. Carr (University of Huddersfield) as part of the launch of her book, 'Viewing Pleasure and Being a Showgirl: How do I look?' published by Routledge in 2018.

Ralph Rugoff states that our search for meaning engages us in a goalless activity of speculation and interpretation, of tracing the links between our emotional responses and the ideas that arise alongside them [the works of art] or that may in fact be triggered by them. The study of these relationships, not the solution of apuzzle, is the pleasure we may pursue as viewers.

In my paper, I speak about the 5 images in Carr's book (her own artworks) and make links between showgirls, headstands, feminism and viewing pleasure.

Other papers and readings were presented by Isabella Streffen, Katherine Angel, Feona Atwood and Sharon Kivland.